Shingopana
| Shingopana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Clade: | †Titanosauria |
| Clade: | †Lithostrotia |
| Clade: | †Aeolosaurini |
| Genus: | †Shingopana Gorscak et al. 2017 |
| Type species | |
| †Shingopana songwensis Gorscak et al. 2017
| |
Shingopana (meaning "wide neck" in Swahili) is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian[2] age) Galula Formation of Tanzania. It is known from only the type species, S. songwensis.[3] Gorscak & O'Connor's phylogenetic testing suggest Shingopana is more closely related to the South American titanosaur family of Aeolosaurini than any of the titanosaurs found so far in North & South Africa.[3]
Discovery and naming
[edit]Part of the holotype, TZ-07, was discovered in 2002 by scientists affiliated with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project, which was run by Patrick O'Connor and Nancy Stevens.[3] The rest of the skeleton was excavated during the following years. The species Shingopana songwensis was officially named in 2017.[3]
Description
[edit]Shingopana was a quadrupedal Aeolosaurin sauropod that would have reached up to 8 metres (26 ft) long when fully grown, smaller than the average sauropod.[3]
Skeleton
[edit]The holotype was damaged by insect bore holes shortly after the animal died.[3]
Shingopana is known from a partial jaw, represented by the angular bone. Shingopana is also known from four cervical vertebrae; with two of these vertebrae having preserved cervical ribs and another isolated cervical rib. Shingopana instead had remnants of a bulbous expansion on the incompletely preserved cervical vertebrae, which probably helped to strengthen its neck.[3]
Four ribs have been preserved with the holotype, but none are complete. The ribs had flanged edges, but their function is currently unknown.[3]
An almost complete humerus and a partial pubis were also present in the holotype.
Classification
[edit]Palaeoecology
[edit]The holotype was discovered in the Upper Cretaceous Galula Formation of the Rukwa Rift Basin in Tanzania. It would have coexisted with the sauropods Rukwatitan[4] and Mnyamawamtuka,[5] the mesoeucrocodiles Pakasuchus[6] and Rukwasuchus,[7] the mammal Galulatherium,[4] an unnamed notosuchian, an unnamed turtle, an unnamed theropod[4] and two types of lungfish (Lupaceradotus and an unnamed genus).
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Ogg, J.G. (2012), "Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale", The Geologic Time Scale, Elsevier, pp. 85–113, doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-59425-9.00005-6, ISBN 978-0-444-59425-9, S2CID 127887632
- ^ Widlansky, Sarah J.; Clyde, William C.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Roberts, Eric M.; Stevens, Nancy J. (2018-03-01). "Paleomagnetism of the Cretaceous Galula Formation and implications for vertebrate evolution". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 139: 403–420. Bibcode:2018JAfES.139..403W. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.11.029. ISSN 1464-343X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gorscak, E.; O'Connor, P. M.; Roberts, E. M.; Stevens, N. J. (2017). "The second titanosaurian (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania, with remarks on African titanosaurian diversity". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 361 (4): 35–55. Bibcode:2017JVPal..37E3250G. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1343250. S2CID 90885040.
- ^ a b c O’Connor, Patrick M.; Gottfried, Michael D.; Stevens, Nancy J.; Roberts, Eric M.; Ngasala, Sifa; Kapilima, Saidi; Chami, Remigius (March 2006). "A new vertebrate fauna from the Cretaceous Red Sandstone Group, Rukwa Rift Basin, Southwestern Tanzania". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 44 (3): 277–288. Bibcode:2006JAfES..44..277O. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.11.022. ISSN 1464-343X.
- ^ Gorscak, Eric; O’Connor, Patrick M. (2019). "A new African titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation (Mtuka Member), Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania". PLoS ONE. 2 (14): e0211412. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1411412G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211412. PMC 6374010. PMID 30759122.
- ^ O’Connor, Patrick M.; Sertich, Joseph J. W.; Stevens, Nancy J.; Roberts, Eric M.; Gottfried, Michael D.; Hieronymus, Tobin L.; Jinnah, Zubair A.; Ridgely, Ryan; Ngasala, Sifa E. (August 2010). "The evolution of mammal-like crocodyliforms in the Cretaceous Period of Gondwana". Nature. 466 (7307): 748–751. Bibcode:2010Natur.466..748O. doi:10.1038/nature09061. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 20686573. S2CID 4405106.
- ^ Sertich, Joseph J. W.; O’Connor, Patrick M. (2014-04-16). "A new crocodyliform from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (3): 576–596. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..576S. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.819808. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 16644660.
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